Loose-leaf binder construction



Oct. 23, 1945. A. G. LOTTER LOOSE LEAF BINDER CONSTRUCTION Filed July 9, 1943 Patented Oct. 23,, 1945 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOSE-LEAF BINDER CONSTRUCTION Adolph G. Letter, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Stationers Loose Leaf Company, Milwaukee,

Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 9, 1943, Serial No. 493,995

4 Claims.

invention relates to loose leaf binders and particularly to binders of the so-called visible record type. In view of the present day demand for reduction in the use of metal, it is an object of this invention to provide a loose leaf binder wherein the metal required is reduced considerably without in anywise detracting from the utility and efficiency of the binder.

With'this ,broadobject inview, it is a further object of this invention to provide a binder wherein the complementary hingedly connected binder heads consist of wooden or other non-metallic back members to which the operative elements of the binder, such as the impaling prongs, the latch and the hinges, are secured.

Another object of this invention resides in the novel manner in which the covers of the binder arehingedly connected to their respective binder heads, all with a View toward saving metal, but

without detracting from the attractiveness and utility of the binder.

With the above and other objects in view which i will appear as the description proceeds, this inventlon resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changesin the precise embodiment' of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

, The accompanying drawing illustratesone complete example of the physicalembodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the best modeso far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is an end view of a binderconstructed in accordance with this invention, part of the,

covers being broken away;

Figure 2 is a view looking into the open binder and with the covers likewise broken away; and

Figure 3 is a perspective sectional view taken through Figure 2 on the plane of the line 3-3.

Referring .now more particularly to the accompanylng drawing, in which numerals indicate like parts, numerals 5 and 6 designate generally the two complementary hingedly connected binder heads to which the covers 1 and 8 of the binder are respectively attached.

3 Each binder head consists of a back member 9 of wood or other suitable non-metallic material having a flat inner face In and inner and outer edgesll and I2, the latter being provided with a rabbet l3 which defines a shoulder l4 near the outer rounded edge l5 of the back member.

Metal hinges 16 are secured preferably by screws, to the inner edges ll of the back members and as in all visible record bindersflthese hinges have their loop portions shorter than their complementary loop receiving spaces to enable the desired longitudinal shifting of the binder heads. Secured to the inner face In of each back member is an angle bar H, the attachment being effected by screws 18 which pass through one flange [9 of the bar and thread into the back member 9. The outer face of the other flange 2i) of the angle bar is flush with the bottom of the rabbet I3.

The upstanding flanges 20 of the angle bars have the customary, impaling prongs 2| fixed thereto. The prongs of one binder head project toward the other binder head to have their extremities received in holes 22 in the flanges '28 of the angle bars.

The angle bars extend from one end of the back members to a point adjacent to the opposite end thereof where sufficient space is left for end pieces 23' and '24. These end pieces are stamped from sheet metal and are substantially corner shaped with one wall 25 lying flat on the inner face of its respective back member for attachment thereto by screws 26.

The end walls 21 of the end pieces mount the latch mechanism by which the binder heads are releasably secured closed. This latch mechanism is preferably like that forming the subject matter of Patent No. 1,744,275, issued to Adolph G.Lotter January 21, 1930, and comprises essentially a hook 28 and a cooperating latch member 29.

For proper alignment of the prongs With the apertures in the leaves, the binder heads must be in one or the other of their limits of relative longitudinal adjustment as the binder is closed. To assure this condition, the latch lever preferably is equipped with a cam 30 which engages the end of the hook 23 during closure of the binder, This manner of assuring the desired longitudinal relationship between the binder heads forms the subject matter of the patent to Adolph G. Letter, No. 2,352,486, issued June 27,

flanges 20 of the angle bars as well as the side walls 32 of the end pieces.

The side walls 32 of the end pieces, like the upstanding flanges of the angle bars, are flush with the bottoms of the rabbets in the outer edges of the back members.

Finishing strips 33 of fiber or other suitable material and of a thickness substantially equal to the remaining depth of the rabbets anda width to extend from the shoulders M to the top of the upstanding flanges 2B overlie the hinge strips 3| and are secured to the flanges 20 and the side walls 32 by rivets 34. In this manner, the hinge strips 3| are securely clamped in place and a neat external appearance is given the and overlying the bottoms of the rabbets in the outer edges of the back members and the flanges of the angle bars flush therewith; finishing strips seated in said rabbets over the hinge strips and extending over said flanges of the angle bars; and fastening means securing said finishing strips in position to clamp the hinge strips to the back members and said flanges.

3. In a loose leaf binder, complementary hingedly connected binder heads comprising: nonmetallic back members disposed edge to edge;

hinges connecting the adjacent inner edges of binder heads as the outer faces of the finishing strips merge gracefully with the rounded edges [5 of the back members.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention provides a novel manner of reducing the use of metal in a loose leaf binder considerably and that notwithstanding this substantial reduction in the use of metal, no sacrifice in utility'and attractiveness is entailed.

What I' claim as my invention is:

1. In a loose leaf binder, complementary hinge edly connected binder heads each comprising: a wooden back member having an inner face and an outer edge provided with a rabbet; an angle bar extending lengthwise of the back member; fastening means passing through one flange of the angle bar and securing the same to the inner face of the back member with its other flange upstanding and substantially flush with the bottom of the rabbet in the outer edge of the back member; a cover; a sheet of tough flexible material fixed to the cover and overlying the bottom of the rabbet and the upstanding flange of the angle bar which is flush therewith; a finishing strip covering that portion of the flexible sheet which overlies said upstanding flange and the bottom of the rabbet; and rivets passing through said finishing strip and said upstanding flange of the angle bar to clamp said parts together with the flexible sheet firmly held therebetween.

2.. In a loose leaf binder of the visible record type: complementary binder heads each including, a wooden back member extending lengthwise of the binder head and having a flat inner face with inner and outer edges substantially at right angles thereto, the latter being provided with a rabbet adjacent to said flat inner face; hinges secured to the inner edges of the back members to hingedly connect the same, said hinges having loops of less length than the complementary spaces between the loops to accommodate relative longitudinal shifting of the binder heads; an angle bar fixed to the inner face of each back member with one flange thereof flush with the bottom of the rabbet in the outer edge of the back member; inwardly projecting impaling prongs on said flange of each of the angle bars; covers for the binder; hinge strips of tough flexible material rigidly secured to the covers the back members; a metal angle bar fixed to the inner face of each non-metallic back member with one flange of the angle bar substantially perpendicular to said inner face and spaced a distance inwardly from the outer edge of the back member; inwardly projecting impaling prongs on said flange of each angle bar; covers for the binder; flexible hinge strips fixed to the covers and overlying said flanges of the angle bars so as to be spaced a distance inwardly from the adjacent outer edges of the back members; and means for securing said hinge strips to the angle bars and back members, said means including a relatively flat hard surfaced finishing strip extending substantially the entire length of each back member and covering the entire hinge strip at the outer edge portions of the binder heads, said finishing strips having their outer faces substantially flush with the outer edges of the back members so as to cooperate 4. In a visible record loose leaf binder: com

plementary hingedly connected binder heads each comprising a non-metallic back member having a flat inner face and inner and outer edges substantially perpendicular thereto; hinges fixed to the inner edges of said back members and by which the back members are hingedly connected; an angle bar fixed to each back member and having an upstanding flange parallel to but spaced a distance inwardly from the outer edge of the back member; impaling prongs on said flanges of the angle bars; end piecesfixed to the back members, at least at one end there- 'of; a cooperating hook and latch on'said end pieces by which the binder is releasably secured in closed position; said end pieces having wall surfaces in line with said flanges of the angle bars; covers for the binder; flexible hinge strips fixed to the covers and overlying said flanges of the angle bars and said Walls of the end pieces in line with said flanges so as to bespaced a distance inwardly from the outer edges of the back members; and finishing strips overlying 

